UPDATE: Victor Rojas is the son of former Angels manager Cookie Rojas, who also served as a coach under Gene Mauch in Anaheim in the 1980s.
The Angels just sent out this email to everyone:
ANGELS ADD VICTOR ROJAS TO BROADCAST TEAM
ANAHEIM, CA - The Angels announced Wednesday that Victor Rojas has agreed to terms to become the television play-by-play voice of Angels Baseball. He will join Mark Gubicza in handling all broadcasts on FOX Sports West and KCOP.
"We are pleased to have Victor join our organization and our community," said Angels Club Chairman, Dennis Kuhl. "His broadcast skills and baseball experience will be solid assets for Angels Baseball. We feel we have matched two outstanding talents in Victor and Mark Gubicza."
"Victor Rojas was an important member of the MLB Network on-air team that made our first year so successful," said Tony Petitti, MLB Network President and CEO.
"We are happy that he is staying within the MLB family and we wish him nothing but the best." Rojas, 42, joins the Angels after serving the MLB Network as a studio host since its inception, and five years with the Texas Rangers broadcast team. He also enjoyed an accomplished career as a Minor League player, and a baseball analyst.
"The Angels have always held a special place in my heart," said Rojas.
"While I'm thrilled to be joining such an incredible organization, it's difficult to focus on my feelings knowing that the position was available only because of the untimely passing of a wonderful person and broadcaster in Rory Markas. Rory was extremely gracious to me when we had occasions to spend time together during my 5 years as a fellow broadcaster in Texas, and I'm both humbled and excited by the fact the Angels have put their faith in me to fill such a large void." "I'm extremely grateful to MLB Network for not only taking a chance on me, but also for allowing me to pursue this opportunity. There are a number of incredibly talented individuals that I've had the pleasure of working with and it's because of that interaction I feel like I'm leaving as a better person and broadcaster." Prior to joining the MLB Network in late December, 2008, Rojas spent five seasons as a member of the Texas Rangers television and radio broadcast teams, providing both play by play as well as analysis. During the 2003 season, Rojas did radio play-by-play and analysis for Arizona Diamondbacks broadcasts. Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Rojas spent two seasons doing television analysis and radio play-by-play for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League, where he was also hired as the team's Assistant General Manager before becoming General Manager.
For two years Rojas served as the English television play-by-play broadcaster for the Caribbean World Series, shown on the YES network in 2006 from Venezuela and SNY network in 2007 from Puerto Rico. His father, former major league player and manager, Cookie Rojas provided color analysis both occasions.
Rojas was a pitcher in Angels organization. He was on the Florida Marlins baseball staff in 1993 and served as pitching coach at Rio Grande in the Texas-Louisiana League in 1994. He played college baseball at the College of the Desert in Palm Springs, California, and Lewis-Clark State University in Lewiston, Idaho.
Victor and his wife Kim are moving to Southern California with their two children.
WOO HOO!
Very Awesome, watching him on MLB Network as we speak
ryanfea - March 3, 2010
[after looking up his picture]
Oh, that guy. Yeah, he’s good. Kudos to the Angels brass for hiring a person they feel is the most qualified for the job, and not just a known “name.”
I hope he has the opportunity to call as many memorable and historic moments as Rory did in his time here.
jjackflash - March 3, 2010
wow, good choice!
i like him on MLB Network. looking forward to this!
daze - March 3, 2010
Has anyone here ever heard him call a game?
He’s a charismatic dude and has ties to the Angels, but I have never heard him actually call a game.
Ranger buddies in SBN land?
Higz - March 3, 2010
He's good
at least on the radio
Kinslerhomer - March 3, 2010
He is good
And tends to speak the facts as he sees them. Very refreshing (at least to me) when many if not most broadcasters are on the homerish side of what they see. Not that being partisan to your paycheck is bad, it isn’t. But don’t be surprised if Victor, without malice, calls it as he sees it.
Ed Coffin - March 3, 2010
Thanks fellas!
BTW, good luck with the wild card
Higz - March 3, 2010
Good to hear
It’s one of the things that I truly appreciate about Vin Scully: he may enjoy the game and he knows who signs his paychecks, but you never consider him a homer.
scareduck - March 3, 2010
Pretty cool...
Figgi4life - March 3, 2010 via mobile
well i'm excited
i’ve never heard him and i don’t watch enough MLBN to know his voice, but from that release and what everyone is saying, this could be a very good thing!
howiestheman - March 3, 2010
Who?
hauldog - March 3, 2010
Sounds Like a good signing
Just hope he’s not another Mota!
Angel'sAngel - March 3, 2010
no
Rojas has a good grasp on the English language.
ryanfea - March 3, 2010
the last two post are the most ignorent racist posts i have read in a while
its Southern California 60 miles from Mexico…get over it…people are going to speak Spanish and are going to have an accent when speaking English.
surfpunk - March 3, 2010
not to mention how many spanish speaking players we have in the league
surfpunk - March 3, 2010
Que?
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
That's kind of a silly reaction
It’s perfectly reasonable for anyone to expect that a professional English-language broadcaster be fluent in English. Moreover, neither Angel’sAngel nor ryanflea mentioned accents.
rspencer - March 3, 2010
or race for that matter
Higz - March 3, 2010
Thank you
I find it offensive to be called a racist and I wasn’t implying hatred or prejudice at all.
ryanfea - March 3, 2010
Pehaps not what you intended, but certainly implied
The meaning of your statement that “Rojas has a good grasp on the English language” through negative implication in context of the previous Mota statement was that if he didn’t have a good grasp on the English language ( or more precisely, spoke with a spanish accent like Mota) then he wouldn’t be a good announcer. That certainly seems like you’re implying that merely having a spanish accent (accent more often than not being a proxy for race, but it’s not always the case) means you’re going to be a bad announcer.
Also, the fact that race or accent wasn’t explicitly brought up is irrelevant. They were already part of the conversation from the very start. They were simply unspoken underlying premises of the statement “Just hope he’s not another Mota.” Which more than likely is a response to the common criticism that Mota was difficult to understand because of his accent (and the presumptive corresponding ethnicity).
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
my point exactly
surfpunk - March 3, 2010
wait a minute
are you saying that the flaws of broadcasters are not open to criticism if the broadcasters are not white?
Rev Halofan - March 3, 2010
Not at all
A criticism that a heavy accent can make someone hard to understand is a valid criticism, but equating having a good grasp of the english language to being accent free is not.
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
Jeff Mathis has an accent
darn tootin’
Rev Halofan - March 3, 2010
And that is probably why the chicks melt in his mouth and not in his hands.
44FAN - March 3, 2010
Then that is your interpretation of my comment then
I don’t dislike Mota because he has a Spanish accent. I dislike how he communicates baseball broadcasts to me. I have heard many spanish accented broadcasters who DO communicate english language broadcasts well.
ryanfea - March 3, 2010
communicating in english and having a grasp of the language are two completely different things
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
I disagree
I think that communicating the language is vital to having a grasp of the language. Perhaps I had a poor choice of words then; regardless I didn’t mean my comments in the way you and surfpunk interpreted them.
ryanfea - March 3, 2010
fair enough
i think you’ve made clear that’s what your intention was and i accept it at face value. While I don’t agree with surfpunk that the post was intentionally racist nor ignorant (again intention versus implication), I was trying to point out and give support for why it could be interpreted in that way
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
Rex Hudler
One could fairly criticize his grasp of the English language as well, without any suggestion of racism. So it’s fair to criticize Mota in that regard.
jjackflash - March 3, 2010
Hudler
Someone, if not many, could fairly criticize hudler on his ability to communicate the English language (i.e. not speak to everyone as if they were 3 year olds), but it wouldn’t be fair to criticize him for not knowing (i.e. the ability to comprehend) the english language
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
So basically
It’s not okay to have any sort of standards whatever.
Okay, got it.
rspencer - March 3, 2010
Hud doesn't speak like he's addressing "3-year-olds"
I think that the millions of fans who dig him feel like he’s addressing us as 10-year-olds—and we like it!
Raaddad - March 4, 2010
Mota is fluent in english he just has an accent
surfpunk - March 3, 2010
A form of language, English, absolutely he is speaking, and I must add.
Forget the accent, Jose just says a lot of stupid stuff, inarticulately.
Zaius - March 3, 2010
^^THIS^^
halofolife - March 3, 2010
surfpunk
pwned
clover_black - March 3, 2010
Completely irrelevant...
when broadcasting to an English speaking audience as a professional broadcaster.
If you speak for a living you better have a firm grasp of the language you are speaking and be easy to understand for the people listening.
If you have a thick accent and English speaking people can’t understand you? Get another job that doesn’t require you to speak to a wide audience.
Mota is fine in bit parts and I’m sure he’s fantastic on the Spanish broadcasts, but if his accent is distracting to English speakers then he’s just not going to cut it.
Rojas speaks perfect English by the way. It’s a non-issue.
Nashdiesel - March 3, 2010
Perhaps there's a definition issue going on
As i understand things having a “grasp of a language” is being able to cogently understand and respond (though maybe with an accent thus making it difficult to communicate)
Speaking clearly and concisely, on the other hand, as mentioned above, refers to the ability to communicate a language.
The first being the knowledge and understanding of a language, whereas the second being able to articulate that knowledge in a way that’s others can comprehend
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
You can speak English "clearly and concisely" & still butcher it
Quad Fin Rider - March 4, 2010
FTW!
Stirrups - March 4, 2010
Idk I have absolutly no problem understanding Mota so I don't think his accent is that bad. seems to me he has a fine grasp on the english language.
TheAngelsColts - March 3, 2010
His accent is really distracting...
His English vocabulary might be better than mine. That’s not the only factor.
Nashdiesel - March 4, 2010
He has no accent. At least not until he gets the opporrrrrrrrrrtunity to speak a spanish name.
Then, after all the rrrrrrrrrrolling of the rrrrrrrrrr’s some thrrrrrrrrrree days laterrrrrrrrrr, his english diction rrrrrrrrrreturns to perrrrrrrrrrfectly norrrrrrrrrrmal. Once you underrrrrrrrrrstand the rrrrrrrrrrules as a listenerrrrrrrrrr, Mota is fine.
Stirrups - March 4, 2010
Its people like you who make this country shittier and shittier on a day-to-day basis
Broadcasting on the radio is a on sense medium that requires you to perfectly convey the situation, product, or intent with clarity vocally. People listening to this broadcast can only hear the person on the other end, so things like lisps, accents, stutters and other perversions of a SoCal/Anaheim type speak stand out and are different.
Are they bad? No. Its just preference. I just choose to listen to a broadcast where the person on the other end speaks crisply and doesn’t roll every “r” seventeen times. I just want to listen to a game.
Is that racist? No. If it was a white guy, or any other color, I would still would like an accent free broadcast so I dont have to think about it while working/exercising/whatever.
People like you who LOVE to jump on the YOU ARE RACIST bandwagon are the same people who got the “Warning: Hot” label on my fucking coffee. You Ultra Sensitive Super Political Correctness Douchebags are slowly making cool things suck. Not everything is racist. Not everything is sexist. Stop immediately branding anything sort of comment against any non-white male to be some kind of attack that is aimed at a race or sex.
So please, keep overreacting to everything you either don’t understand or anything that you feel is within your right to bitch about then hide behind a flag like “Racism”. Ill just keep having to continually change how I refer to each race as people like you decide on a two year interval that the previous term is now not PC enough and change it to something else, meanwhile that race is calling each other the absolute worst thing possible as a form of brotherhood.
I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate over reactive pussies who make this country a whiny bunch of douchebags.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
PhiSlamma
for President!
What you say is so true.
The UC school system is suffering from an equally overblown reaction to a few isolated, racially-charged incidents. The more people overreact to things like this, the more attention is drawn to racist idiots and the differences between humans. We need to focus on the similarities.
The goal for humanity is to make race a non-issue. You can’t do that if you’re constantly calling attention to every stupid (and often harmless) comment.
Mota sucks because he’s an uninteresting, barely competent English-language announcer. Not because he’s Latin.
tolbs1010 - March 3, 2010
I don't know man
I prefer the tossed salad to the melting pot. Just the fact that people HAVE different races, religions etc. necessarily makes it an issue. This idea of a color-blind society is way too idealistic. What it ultimately ends up doing is making the problem worse because it becomes taboo to address legitimate problems of racism (Brazil is the classic example of this problem).
The truth is, NOT everyone is the same, so we might as well learn to accept and appreciate each others differences. The best way to fight racism and ignorance is to learn to accept one another for who we are. If we just try to “focus on each other’s similarities,” we’re just repressing the problem. On the other hand, if we learn to accept each others differences, we are actually making progress.
Spird - March 3, 2010
Fair points Spird
But race WILL eventually be a non-issue—it just may not happen for 100 or 200 years or more. That is the direction we are headed as globalization continues, races mix, and Earth-based policy becomes more important than nationalist/racial/religious loyalties.
Individual cultures are slowly dying out in favor of a global culture. It will happen—just not in our lifetime. It’s kind of sad, really, but progress often wipes out what we once considered sacred or immovable.
tolbs1010 - March 3, 2010
I rec'd and don't want to cause a big fight over this...
…so thought I’d stay anonymous but I agree.
I might not have taken such a hard-lined stance but the spirit of the message is true.
I’m not a fan of Mota by any stretch (very boring announcer despite his knowledge) and dislike him further because listening to him on the radio is painful. Am I racist for feeling that way?
I’ve not heard this new voice at all so I can’t comment and as I said below, I don’t think the choice is by mistake. It both targets a large demographic in LA which is important to Arte as is the national demographic. I don’t care, as long as I can’t tell when listening to him.
((mostly rec’d for the spirit of the statement but especially because of “…where the person on the other end speaks crisply and doesn’t roll every "r" seventeen times…”))
RedFog - March 3, 2010
Rojas is actually way better than I was expecting
He’s knowledgeable, not a talking head like half of the hacks who do national broadcasts. But, he has the perfect, non-regional diction that national networks and other outlets of media whoredom seek.
He’s like, pretty sweet, man.
He’s on a lot of stuff on MLB Network. You could probably turn it on right now and see him there or on MLB.com. He’s also gonna be on The Lodge tomorrow morning if you can tune in to that. My guess is he’s the guest for The Baseball Report which happens around 7:40.
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
Cool, I'll tune in real fast...
…as the wife was watching one of those…I dunno what kind of crap it is.
Some reality show either about making cakes that look like small villages or about someone’s wedding no one should care about or what color tampon some celebrity is now using. Can’t stomach that stuff.
But the movie download is done so need to head out there and watch it. Will sneak an MLB network peek ;)
RedFog - March 3, 2010
I hate hate haters!!!...
Anyway, are you sure it’s really people like surfpunk bringing America down and not alcoholic bears and other crazed animals? (Your picture, that murderous killer whale, etc)
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
I hate you for hating me
But Im not a hater, you hater.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
I believe we've reached a conundrum
Just like the title of the song I was referencing. Well played, sir.
How’s that tattoo comin’ by the way?
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
Im going to have to call the station and set something up for a thing
But Im definitely willing.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
Typical Response
While i’m not particularly certain who you’re actually replying to since I certainly tried to distance myself from surfpunk’s ignorantly broad sweeping comments, I feel that some kind of response is necessary.
Honestly, the calling any opinion I don’t agree with “Un-American” schtick is kind of an old drum. It’s the old reliable ad hominen attack when the person refuses to engage in the substantive discourse or has no real answer to the argument put before them (and i’ll point out that if you chose to find out, there are some pretty damn good logical reasons why there’s the Warning: Hot label on your fucking coffee). While I disagree with any number of points in the rant (and agree with a few as well), what’s the point of bringing them up when the only response you expect back is to be called a douchebag and pussy.
That said, since this is a baseball blog (and we’ve clearly veered off that topic), i’m dropping this subject and if Phi wants to debate me in a more appropriate forum then i’m at his disposal.
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
Thank you
This entire conversation is a no win situation. I feel somehow diminished for having read it.
ArchAngel_7 - March 3, 2010
I wasn't debating or making any comment on race
I know why there is a label on coffee, because of lawsuits from a lady at Mcdonalds who was too stupid/was an extortionist.
Do I even care enough to debate you?
No.
Do I care enough to call some guy a douche bag for crying racism member of HH when he made no such assertion?
You betcha.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
bleh, racism on a*
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
Like everyone else born and raised in So Cal
I’ve known and interacted with thousands of Spanish speakers over the years, and not one of them, regardless of how fluent their English was, spoke like Mota. It’s not his accent, nor his grasp of the English language. It’s his canned “TV delivery” that drives me up the wall. The subtle “racism” in the original comment was the assumption that an announcer might speak like Mota simply because his name is Spanish. It didn’t offend me, and I really wouldn’t call it racist. Just kind of ignorant.
dmhead - March 4, 2010
Dear Phi Slamma
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - March 3, 2010
ahem
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - March 3, 2010
Mr Harvey, we would like a word with you over here, please.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
For any injuries or trampled feelings...
If anyone needs an attorney, I’m free!
RedFog - March 3, 2010
As am I
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
Everyone's getting all picture happy when there's a make your own poster thread!
Have at it people! It’s a hoot!
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
You're a hoot!
Wait that wasn’t as intense of a burn as I thought it was going to be.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
Ignition Failure?
I hate that. It set the space program back like 20 years.
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
See here
Link
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
Already posted something
SO THERE.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
You bringing Super Powers into this?
Prepare for a march on Monday…
RedFog - March 3, 2010
That's Right
Apologisssse
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
Win!
Harvey Birdman rules!
red floyd - March 4, 2010
hey
“pornstars have feelings too”!
autry's cowboys - March 4, 2010
I agree/disagree with some of what you're saying
But this whole accent stuff is nonsense. What the hell is an accent-free broadcast? Should the Angels never interview a broadcaster with a New York accent? Should the Yankees never hire a broadcaster from California? I’d hate to break this to you Phi, but YOU have an accent. If you have a problem with listening to someone who doesn’t talk exactly like you, you have issues dude.
I agree with you that broadcasting requires a clear conveyance of the situation and that having a strong grasp of English is an absolute necessity for an English-language broadcast (although it is not by itself sufficient). It is very possible, however, for one to have a strong grasp of the language, be a good broadcaster, and speak differently than PhiSlamma does.
Spird - March 3, 2010
For most fans...
…yeah. I should host a poll on an independent site and put links on all Angel blogs and as which Angels announcer they like listening to the least and then a seperate question asking which has a voice they like the least.
Do you have any doubts as to who would with both categories?
Do you really?
If they had an announcer with a Southern drawl that was strong, and he was a good ‘ole white boy, I’d puke. Or a nice Bawston Cawnah announciation.
So to me race has nothing to do with it. Although clearly when English isn’t your first language, it’s going to potentially affect the clarity of your speech. And for many listeners, that is a problem.
Not all, but for many.
In fact, I’ll try and look for an independent poll site (I think Survey Monkey works well) and see what the results are…
RedFog - March 3, 2010
Christos, I can't spell...
first line; as = ask
fourth line; with = win
BTW, this has NOTHING to do with Rojas for me as it sounds (no pun intended) like a great hire. My point is mostly related to the racism comment that originally started this :P
RedFog - March 3, 2010
If you're referring to Mota as your answer..
I would agree, but I honestly don’t think it has anything to do with his accent or his English-language skills (which, judging by what he’s said, and the columns that he’s written, are better than the majority of the Halo’s Heaven faithful). I just think the points that he makes are terrible and his presentation is very bland and boring. I am a born and raised white California native, but I’m pretty sure that if I was added to the Angels broadcast team, I would win both categories that you mention.
As for your comments on the accents, I think that you’d get over it if the broadcaster was good enough. I think that if most broadcasters talked like Vin Scully for instance, you would want to bash your TV screen in.
Spird - March 3, 2010
Marketing
Is that why Arte hired Rojas…because his last name is Latin?
Funke5ive - March 3, 2010
I think the issue with Mota is he is not completely comfortable in front of a camera.
That’s why he is better on the radio. In front of the camera he mispronounces names frequently and often gets ahead of himself tripping over his words and thoughts. On radio he does not have that distraction of the camera.
44FAN - March 3, 2010
Maybe i am being am asshole and maybe i am wrong
its just seems that there are a lot of people that really have a lot of hatred towards people from Mexico or people who have spanish accents.
surfpunk - March 3, 2010
not so much here at HH
the Misses has a lot to do with it.
eyespy - March 3, 2010
Everyone should have the chance to visit Mexico for an extended period of time
to appreciate how great a people they really are.
44FAN - March 3, 2010
To add on to that
Everyone should go to Mexico to see the Mayan pyrimids. Really amazing sights right there.
ryanfea - March 3, 2010
not to harp on the issue...
but that aint mexican shit, thats mayan shit. WHOLE nuther culture…but hey…whose counting…i see where your going with it (its in Mexico, etc…)
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - March 3, 2010
I'd argue that the Mayan Culture
still has a pretty big influence on the modern Mexican culture.
ryanfea - March 4, 2010
agreed.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - March 4, 2010
*pyramids
When you fail to have “a good grasp on the English language” you fail in your attempt to be witty. For an example of someone with a good grasp on the English language, read this column: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ys-motaoffensivestyles060808&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Very well written structurally, grammatically, and otherwise, but the content is pretty questionable.
Spird - March 3, 2010
What?
Where was I trying to be witty? The Mayan Pyramids are amazing. Don’t be a jackass just to be a jackass sir.
ryanfea - March 4, 2010
I couldn't agree wit you more...except that you don't have to go that far.
It’s remarkable to me how Mexico hemorrhages many of it’s best and brightest to the USA. Being that I am in construction, I am continually amazed by the level of talent, knowledge, and effort from craftsmen migrating from south of the border. What I have witnessed are people that have some of the best values imaginable; hard-working, non-complaining, gracious, family-oriented, friendly and humorous (once you get to know them).
sothball - March 3, 2010
Honestly I haven't noticed it very much though it's been tough to tell with how many new people the site has gotten recently
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
For what it's worth...
My last names Garcia, I ain’t trippin’. Didn’t seem to be any overtly racist commenting here, move along, nothing to see.
halofolife - March 3, 2010
Yawn
Dono Romantico - March 3, 2010
Have no idea who that is
Wytelitning - March 3, 2010
He's not Chip Caray, so I'm going to consider this good news
Quad Fin Rider - March 3, 2010
Also, he's not a Boston/NY tool
And actually has some connection to our organization. I was deathly afraid we were gonna see someone out of the Peter Gammons/Joe Buck mold because of the “image” the FO supposedly wants to create.
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
I've never heard him call a game
but judging from all the positive responses posted here from Ranger fans & MLBn subscribers, I now feel we must have made an awesome choice.
Quad Fin Rider - March 3, 2010
Rojas is one badass mofo who is awesome on MLBn
I am shocked they got someone I like.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
He'll tell it like it is. He doesn't beat around the bush, he'll call people on the broadcast of he needs to.
Get used to the HR call “And a Big Fly!” for such and such.
TooLegitToQuit - March 3, 2010
Fail. "He'll call people out on the broadcast if he needs to."
TooLegitToQuit - March 3, 2010
He's on MLB right now.
info
wumbug - March 3, 2010
His dad, Cookie,
used to be the 3B coach, and one-time, interim manager for the Angels. Cookie’s stint as manager wasn’t pretty.
wumbug - March 3, 2010
Does he prefer ketchup or mustard on his hotdog?
Funke5ive - March 3, 2010
I'll take Scarlett Johansson on mine
Quad Fin Rider - March 3, 2010
For those who don't know who he is
Here ya go:
I recognized the name at first from MLB Network but couldn’t the face to it at first. They have A TON of analysts on that network and ESPN so it’s hard to keep em straight sometimes. Victor is a good analyst and a competent man in front of a camera when baseball is involved. He’ll do a good job for us.
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
I must admit that 10 minutes ago was the first time I really paid attention to him.
Very professional……..
wumbug - March 3, 2010
Adenhart
Remember watching him almost going to tears on mlbtv last year covering the Adenhart story. Really handled it well. Love the connection to Halos Family. Great Choice.
aarondotcom - March 3, 2010
I remember that too now
I was unemployed and kept switching back and forth between MLB and CNN because both were covering the story. Strange, seems like it was a long time ago.
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
Victor Rojas played for Bill Lachemann’s AZL Angels in 1990
His dad Cookie would later serve as interim manager of the Florida Marlins after Bill’s younger brother Rene Lachemann was fired as their manager in 1996
.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=rojas-002vic
Quad Fin Rider - March 3, 2010
I love this choice
Victor Rojas is a nice guy who’s never passed up an opportunity to say nice things about the Angel organization when I’ve watched him. He’s a thorough pro but still manages to let his personality come through on the MLB Network. I heard him a lot in preseason 2009 doing either the Caribbean WS or the WBC, and from that I’d say he’s a good play-by-play guy, but maybe hasn’t quite developed a fully realized style yet. It’ll be fun to watch him grow in the job.
Another plus is his connection to the franchise, that must certainly go back to his childhood.
The only bad thing is that the Angels’ lead broadcaster is now younger than I am. Another grim milestone. . . .
rspencer - March 3, 2010
Brandon Wood is only 3 months older than me
So I know how you feel. Why oh why did I ever stop playing?
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
It only gets worse Nate
I hardly remember my twenties…
ArchAngel_7 - March 3, 2010
Nooooooooooooooooooooo
I hardly remember my teens and very early 20s at this point…and I’m only 25…
Clutch - March 3, 2010
Ok, just a *bit* of exaggeration there...
Clutch - March 3, 2010
that or you're smoking way too much weed.......
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
Definitely a possibility
Not…think I’m just doing too many whizbangs and flippy-floppys.
Clutch - March 6, 2010
Flappers? The Depression?
How could you have forgotten those?
Stirrups - March 3, 2010
Ragtime?
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
Don't mess with me over Ragtime, man.
My dream is to play like Scott Joplin.
Stirrups - March 3, 2010
Me too!
Well, somewhat further down that list of dreams….after all, I only have videos of his performances, not live memories, to go off of…
Clutch - March 6, 2010
;-D
Clutch - March 6, 2010
You're still pretty green, Nate
but I like you.
Just wait until you’re older than every MLB player, and even some of the managers!
rspencer - March 3, 2010
*sniff* thanks
/puts pistol and bottle of So Co back in the desk drawer
Commander_Nate - March 3, 2010
that is why i like jamie moyer
as long as he is pitching, there is a baseball player older than me.
Rev Halofan - March 3, 2010
Don't forget Tim Wakefield....one can only hope he pitches into his sixties
HaloFanInDC - March 3, 2010
i am older than Wakefield. It was Moyer and Randy Johnson flying the flag for me and now it is just Jaime.
Rev Halofan - March 3, 2010
Julio Franco was my last hope.
Once he retired that was it for me. Now I’m older than all of them.
rspencer - March 3, 2010
now we think about our kids
being their age
Raaddad - March 3, 2010
Damn...
…you guys are making me wish Ryan was still pitching. Oh well…time for bed.
sothball - March 3, 2010
Damn! I'm older than Moyer... by 19 days.
red floyd - March 3, 2010
It sounds like we got a national media guy
with ties to the Rangers. Those are not exactly institutions that are known for respecting the Angels. This should be fun……Yawn
ArchAngel_7 - March 3, 2010
way to read the other posts
to realize that he has ties to the Angels and most of his comment on the Angels while at MLBn have been positive..
b0rd3rline - March 3, 2010
I did read the other posts.
Its still my opinion. Deal with it
ArchAngel_7 - March 3, 2010
As if the Rangers hired him
because he was such a fan. It was his job. How many announcers have previous ties to the team that hired them? It seems to me that hiring announcers should be no different than signing players. Pick ‘em because they’re a good fit and will do a good job. Screw their “ties”.
dmhead - March 4, 2010
Personally, not a big fan of ties
But if I must wear one, I like my King Kong tie
Raaddad - March 4, 2010
Cool. Now, go win!
3rd Echelon - March 3, 2010
I'm underwhelmed.
bc56274 - March 3, 2010
Same here...
…for various reasons, although not sure who would have overwhelmed me since they would be replacing Rory. But still, not terribly excited.
Time will tell. I don’t care about his demographic per se though no doubt that factored highly in his selection by Arte given the Los Angeles market. And his MLB.net facetime on a national level captures the other driver it was said the Angels had so I can see why the organization selected him.
I wish I knew who else was on that short list assuming there was one…
But whatever – not going to stop me from watching no matter who they picked :P
RedFog - March 3, 2010
I also meant to say...
…it might like when the Lakers had to replace Chick. Of course you can’t compare Rory to Chick no matter how much we loved Rory, but it was SO hard to listen or think of hearing a game without Chick there.
I think for a while it will be the same without Rory. I’m not sure who they could pick that would make it ok with me. But after you hear someone enough, you end up liking them.
RedFog - March 3, 2010
Rory and Chick are side by side on the Irish Wall of Fame at Muldoon's in Newport Beach.
I highly recommend making a trek over there to pay your respects and enjoy some good Irish fare.
AlanFalcon - March 4, 2010
Where exactly is the wall of fame there?
For some reason I don’t remember seeing it…
Clutch - March 6, 2010
I like his humbleness and respectfulness
in his recognition of replacing Rory Markus—very classy and inarguably the right tenor, so to speak
Raaddad - March 3, 2010
Great hire
Spird - March 3, 2010
RACIST!
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
Hah
Point taken, but I still think the truth is somewhere in between what you said and the people who cry racist at every available opportunity.
Spird - March 3, 2010
Indeed, I took the other extreme because its just more entertaining that way.
PhiSlamma - March 3, 2010
Stoked on Rojas!
I watch mlb network everyday and actually found out about this news on lastnights mlb tonight show. Very surprised but super stoked. As someone mentioned earlier in this thread… He is a good blend of personality and professionalism(is that a word?). I’m excited about hearing him do the games and even more excited that its not some shmuck like chip caray. Pretty much the best realistic hire I can think of. Great job Arte!
AlohaHalofan - March 4, 2010 via mobile
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